Chapter Forty-Four: The Enchanting Charisma of the Second Young Master of the Valley

“The household has grown large, and inevitably there are disputes. If this illness does not abate, how can we be certain that the Third Young Master will remain safe?” The words of the young physician, with his small mustache, were clear and chilling to the Old Master.

“What is your suggestion, doctor?”

“Find the root cause, and the knot will naturally unravel,” the young physician replied, showing off somewhat.

“You make it sound simple. Do you not think I know the knot must be resolved? But how should I find it?” The Old Master dismissed his words as empty talk.

“I fear it is your own indecision that stands in the way,” said the young physician.

His words had barely finished when Ding Zhan’s voice rang out loudly from the doorway, “Old Master, Seer, the owner of the tea shop frequented by the Third Young Master is here and requests an audience.”

“Old Master, this tea merchant may have clues. Shall we listen?” Qin Xiaomo, standing beside Qian Mubai, spoke.

The Old Master understood Qin Xiaomo’s intent and, after a moment’s thought, said, “Let him in.”

Soon, the tea shop owner entered timidly, terrified that he would be implicated in the Third Young Master’s misfortune. He hadn’t slept well for days, and being summoned today made his legs weak, his heart fervently praying for safety.

“You—” The Old Master hadn’t even finished his sentence when the tea shop owner dropped to his knees. “Old Master, I have never harmed the Young Master!”

“I haven’t asked anything yet—why are you panicking? Unless you’ve done something?” The Old Master’s voice suddenly turned icy.

“No, absolutely not! I wouldn’t dare. Our interactions were only because the tea from my humble shop suited the Young Master’s taste—nothing else, I swear!” The tea merchant shook his head and hands.

“Do you know that the tea the Third Young Master bought from your shop… was poisoned?” Qin Xiaomo placed the tea before him.

“The tea is from my shop, but it’s impossible for it to be poisoned!” the tea merchant declared firmly.

“Why are you so certain?” Qin Xiaomo asked curiously.

“The tea for the Third Young Master is always Fuyun tea from Fuyan County. Only two boxes are produced each year, so it’s precious. Whenever I provide tea for him, I lock it in the cabinet with a complex spring lock, which needs several keys to open. I always carry the keys myself. If you say my tea is poisoned, I cannot believe it!” The tea shop owner, surprisingly, showed some uprightness.

“Is it possible someone slipped something in while you weren’t paying attention?”

“Impossible! I would never bring out this tea unless for the most distinguished guests…” He halted mid-sentence, as if something occurred to him. The room grew silent, everyone waiting for his next words. “I remember… a few days ago, the Second Young Master visited. He said he wanted to pick the best tea for a friend’s birthday, and asked what was the finest in my shop. I told him it was Fuyun tea, but it had already been reserved by the Third Young Master and could not be sold.”

“And then?”

“The Second Young Master insisted for a long while, finally saying at least let him see what the tea looked like. I agreed… and brought it out.” Cold sweat broke out on the tea shop owner, realizing he might be involved.

Qin Xiaomo continued, “Were you present the whole time, or did you leave at any point?”

“I—I…” He wracked his memory in desperation, unable to recall.

“Was there any moment when the tea was outside your sight?” Qin Xiaomo prompted.

The tea merchant suddenly remembered, “Yes… the Second Young Master asked to try another tea from the top of the cabinet. I turned away and climbed the ladder for a while—does that count?”

Qin Xiaomo looked to the Old Master, awaiting his decision. The Old Master, troubled, said, “Are you willing to confront him directly? If you wrongly accuse my son, do you know the consequences?”

“I’m willing!” The tea merchant answered boldly, for this was a matter of life and death. Besides, they were father and son—surely the Old Master wouldn’t truly harm his own child.

“Go! Find that good-for-nothing Second Son and bring him back!” the Old Master growled.

“Old Master, it’s so late—I wouldn’t know where to look…” the houseboy murmured.

“How dare you! Do you all think I am truly senile? Don’t think I don’t know he keeps a private residence outside. Go there! If you don’t find him, do not return!” The Old Master was truly enraged.

“Yes, yes! I’ll go right away.” The houseboy hurried out.

Though the room was full, a tense silence hung in the air, as if any movement might disturb someone. The Old Master sighed, feeling ashamed—his family’s disgrace exposed before so many, and Qian Mubai’s demeanor suggested he would not let the matter rest, perhaps interfering with his decision and causing his son to suffer unnecessarily.

Qin Xiaomo guessed his thoughts, saying, “Old Master, you need not feel troubled. How you handle this is your family’s matter. We have pursued the truth only to clear the suspicion of harm. Now that the cause is revealed, I have another matter to raise.”

Upon hearing that they did not intend to interfere in his handling of the issue, the Old Master relaxed and smiled, “Seer, please speak.”

“I wish to know who poisoned the tea—who sought to harm me!”

The Old Master, somewhat uneasy, replied, “Very well.” Afraid it had been his disappointing second son.

Qian Mubai, who had been silent for a long while, softly asked Qin Xiaomo, “Dear, you must be famished after this long day. Here!” He produced from his sleeve a handful of translucent yellow fruits, each the size of a cherry, and offered them to her. Everyone present watched curiously, never having seen such fruit before.

Qin Xiaomo took one without hesitation and began to chew it, enjoying it as one would a cherry. The taste was pleasant, and she happily ate one after another. Jiang Wei, beside her, looked as if his eyes might pop out, face full of distress.

Qin Xiaomo noticed his expression and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hungry too? Here.” She handed him the last two, but Jiang Wei quickly waved them away.

Seeing his reaction only piqued Qin Xiaomo’s curiosity. She examined one carefully—aside from a pearl-sized white bead in the center, there was nothing remarkable. She tossed the last two into her mouth, wiped the sticky residue from her hands, and turned to ask Qian Mubai, “Are there any more?”

Jiang Wei nearly rolled his eyes and fainted.

Qian Mubai said, “If you like them, after this is resolved, I’ll take you to pick them fresh.”

Not far away, Xu Zixian lay silently, his eyes dark, murmuring to himself, “So, she is the Second Lady of Jingxu County…” No one else noticed, but Jiang Wei heard and chuckled to himself, thinking: Why else would he have traveled so far to complain to the Young Master—someone else covets his wife.

At that moment, the door swung wide open. The Second Young Master, Xu Zichu, strode in. He was tall and robust, with thick brows, a long face, and a dignified, handsome appearance.

“Father, why summon your son so late?” Xu Zichu bowed respectfully.

“You dare ask after the trouble you’ve caused!” The Old Master slammed his hand fiercely on the table.